Yes, I know there are elections in 12 days time. I know that the White House has made some very controversial and uncomfortable nominations for important government posts. I know that the Middle East is in huge and violent turmoil.

But who cares? It’s snowing! Not in Petach Tikva unfortunately (we’ve just got the rain, wind, thunder and hail) but in all the mountainous regions and basically anywhere more or less above sea level. (I exaggerate only slightly. :-) )

My newly-married daughter now lives in Elazar in Gush Etzion and sent me a series of photos of the snow all around her yishuv. (Click one of the pictures to see the gallery, and click “escape” to go back to the blog).

Does her husband know he has competition?

The excitement is infectious. :-)

The same car after overnight snowfall

A poor little pigeon takes shelter in the corner of the patio

No hanging laundry outside today!

The competition to Dimona Dude

Some poor soul had to take his dog for a walk last night

Snowbirds

Meanwhile, my son who is studying in Ariel University has sent in his own photos of the snow in Ariel: (Again, cllick one of the pictures to see the gallery, and click “escape” to go back to the blog).

Ariel University in the snow

Even Dimona Dude’s (the new son-in-law’s) hometown of Dimona, down south in the hot Negev desert, has received snow! The chutzpah! Note to the Authorities on High – Petach Tikva is still waiting for its share of the snow.

Snow in Dimona!

Here’s an amazing picture from my son’s friend who lives in Har Bracha in the Shomron (Samaria):

Har Bracha in the snow

For some more great photos of snow in Israel visit the Times of Israel’s Snow in Israel facebook page. Their website also has a beautiful (and amusing) snow-blog.

Here are a few photos from around the Israel web. The photos will link to the websites:

The windmill in Yemin Moshe, Jerusalem

The Kotel in the snow (Via facebook)

The snowy Old City (via Twitter)

Do you think he could make up a minyan?

And of course let’s not forget the snow in the Golan Heights:

Gazelles in the Golan snow

Besides all the fun and games, the wintry weather has had the added bonus of a huge rise in the Kinneret’s water level: It has risen 69 cm since the weekend! (Possibly more today).

10 Responses to Israel’s snowy wonderland

No snow in Rishon le Zion either…double hmph. I measured 4 degrees on the thermometer (outside) last night at 1 am, and hoped that over night it would fall enough and I could wake up to white stuff. It did snow in Rishon very briefly a number of years back. As a former Canadian, I miss snow! (a bit!)

Happily for me, there’s no snow in Ashkelon. One of the many things I was looking forward to when I left New York was NO SNOW! I haven’t recovered yet. I had enough for several lifetimes. However, it looks beautiful–elsewhere, in pictures…

But the wind is extremely impressive, as are the torrential rains!! I woke up to find my charcoal grill and furniture blown to the other side of my (large) balcony, and chairs overturned–and the constant assault on the shutters makes it difficult to sleep. Yesterday, the sea looked like a tsunami bearing down. Thankfully, it has resulted in major increases in the water level in places that were in desperate need.

We seem to be of like minds Leslie. The snow is like Chanukah candles – to be seen but not touched, LOL. :-)

The wind was quite terrifying. I thought the tree in our garden would come crashing through our windows. And the rain has indeed been fantastic for the country’s water levels. Perhaps the Kinneret will overflow once more?

I love this winter! I’m extremely unimpressed that no snow fell here in Petach tiqva & was hoping they’d bring truckloads of it here as they did one year to show kids what it was like! In order to explain to my kids what snow was we took them to the Hermon on Pesach(admittedly it was a hot sunny day!) so they could understand the feeling of snow whilst they are teenagers & able to enjoy the fun.At least the kinneret has risen to almost its top level. Thats good news. All of you in snowy parts of Israel have fun & build a snowman fo me!

We also took our kids to see the snow on the Hermon, and also in Switzerland. But seeing it on the ground does not compare to seeing it actually fall. I remember when Zvi got so excited at seeing his first snow-fall in Bet El, at the grand old age of 18 or 19.